BARCELONA '92 OLYMPICS / DAY 6 : DAILY REPORT : WRESTLING : 2 European World Champions Finish on Top in Greco-Roman

L.A. Times Archives

July 31, 1992 12 AM PT

Maik Bullmann and Peter Farkas--the only finalists with at least two world titles--lived up to expectations and won gold medals Thursday as the Greco-Roman wrestling tournament ended.

Bullmann, a German who has dominated the 198-pound class since 1989, recorded an early three-point takedown to post a 5-0 victory over Hakki Basar of Turkey.

Farkas, a Hungarian who also won the past two world championships, also scored an easy triumph, defeating Piotr Stepien of Poland in the 180.5-pound final, 6-1.

Buddy Lee of Woodbridge, Va., and Michial Foy of Brooklyn Park, Minn., were in contention for the gold as the finals began but lost in the morning round-robin session.

In the other gold-medal bouts, Han Bong An of South Korea edged reigning world champion Yildiz Rifat of Germany in the 125.5-pound class, and Akif Pirim of Turkey beat defending world champion Serguei Martynov of the Commonwealth of Independent States at 136.5 pounds.

However, the CIS picked up one silver and two bronze medals in the last four weight classes and finished with three medals each of gold, silver and bronze.

ROWING

U.S. Pair Saving Its Secrets for Final Against Canada

Anna Seaton of Manhattan, Kan., is glad she and rowing partner Stephanie Maxwell-Pierson of Somerville, N.J., won’t race Canada until Saturday in the final for pairs without coxswain. Canada is the defending gold medalist and has never lost to the United States.

“I’m glad we didn’t meet the Canadians today,” Seaton said. “I’d rather not give away any secrets until the final.”

The Americans won their semifinal heat in 7 minutes 11.70 seconds and will race Marnie McBean and Kathleen Heddle of Canada.

John Pescatore of Ocean City, N.J., and Peter Sharis of Boxford, Mass., didn’t have it so easy, finishing third in their heat but still making it to today’s final.

YACHTING

Americans Leading the Field in Star, Two Other Classes

The United States continued its strong performance by leading in three classes and remaining in medal contention in several others.

Hal Haenel of Los Angeles and Mark Reynolds of San Diego overcame the Germans on the downwind leg of their race to maintain dominance in the Star class.

In the Finn class, Brian Ledbetter of San Diego--looking for the gold medal that got away when his mast snapped in the final at the 1988 Olympics--maintained second place overall, despite finishing 10th in his race.

In the 470 class, J.J. Isler of San Diego and Pamela Healy of Port Richmond, Calif., finished second and remain fifth.

In the Flying Dutchman class, Paul Foerster of Heath, Tex., and Steve Bourdow of New Orleans picked up their third victory in a row and remained in first. Also on top is the U.S. Soling crew of Kevin Mahaney of Bangor, Me., Jim Brady of Annapolis, Md. and Doug Kern of Austin, Tex., who led on every leg of the race.

In women’s sailboard, Lanee Butler of San Juan Capistrano is in eighth place after seven races.

BADMINTON

U.S. Woman Goes Quickly

In a match that lasted only 10 minutes, Linda French, the last remaining American in Olympic women’s badminton, was eliminated by Huang Hua of China, 11-1, 11-1. Huang, the third-ranked player in the world, overpowered French from the start of their second-round match.

Earlier, French, of Elmhurst, Ill., and Joy Kitzmiller of Manhattan Beach were eliminated by Harumi Kohara and Hisako Mizui of Japan in the first round of women’s doubles 15-6, 15-12.

TABLE TENNIS

Bhushan’s Success Short-Lived

Insook Bhushan’s reward for winning her first- round match was a dubious one. She got to play the top-ranked player in the world. And Bhushan, of Aurora, Colo., fell short in the second-round, losing to Deng Yaping of China, 21-14, 21-12. In other matches, Diana Gee of Dallas and Lily Hugh of Metuchen, N.J., won in doubles, and Jim Butler of Iowa City, Iowa, won in singles.

MEDALISTS

* ;GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING

(126 pounds)

GOLD: Han Bong An (South Korea)

SILVER: Yildiz Rifat (Germany)

BRONZE: Sheng Zetian (China)

(137 pounds)

GOLD: M. Akif Pirim (Turkey)

SILVER: Serguei Martynov (CIS)

BRONZE: Juan Luis Maren Delis (Cuba)

(181 pounds)

GOLD: Peter Farkas (Hungary)